25 days and a wake up

After three months of training, it's officially less than four weeks till 30,000 runners line up in Arlington for the start of the Marine Corps Marathon. I'm both petrified and unbelievably excited. This week I'll hit my peak mileage (around 50 miles) and then begin the much dreaded taper. All marathon training plans include a two to three week "taper" period leading up to race day that focuses of healing muscles and resting for the big day. Many runners look forward to the pre-race taper as a chance to rest up and enjoy the free time that comes with diminished mileage. Not me. I will most likely spend the next three weeks fretting about my fitness, overanalyzing my race strategy, testing out an obscene amount of spandex to perfect my marathon outfit, and questioning my ability to complete all 26.2 miles. However, after a solid long run, mindblowing trapeze class, and delicious refueling, I'm feeling much more confident that I'll make to the finish line and maybe, just maybe, hit my goal time.

For our second to last long run, Kim and I ventured out of her UES apartment around 8am on Sunday morning and took advantage of her proximity to Central Park. Our 16 mile jaunt through the park went surprisingly well considering we both missed our previous long run. Autumn has finally arrived in New York and we were much appreciative of the falling temperatures on Sunday morning. We ran a steady 10 minute pace that felt very comfortable, making a 2 or 3 stops to choke down a gel (Kim's first!) or to grab Gatorade from a hot dog stand. It was also very encouraging that Kim's asthma and my calf didn't act up at all. Fingers crossed our luck holds for this weekend's final 20 miler and, of course, on race day.

Yes, that tiny speck is me...

Rather than taking an ice bath and napping like normal people, Kim and I followed up our run with a trip to the Westside Highway for TRAPEZE LESSONS! Mad props to Tracey for organizing this adventure; it was possibly one of the most fun things I've done in a long, long time. The NY Trapeze School offers lessons for all skills levels (clearly we were beginners) and for a mere $70 you get two hours to live out your Cirque du Soleil fantasies. If you're a first-timer, the instructors will give you a quick tutorial on the basics, but literally within 20 minutes you're up in the air, throwing yourself off a platform 23 feet above the ground. After the first thrilling swings, you learn how to hang upside down from the bar, dismount by doing a back flip, and ultimately leap off to by caught by our polka dotted spandex wearing trapeze expert.  Absolutely incredible. We've already booked our second lesson for the weekend after the marathon. Hopefully I'll be able to walk by then...

Also, check out Liza's recap of our trapezing adventures! And for those on Facebook, Tracey's ever so kindly posted a video of my catch - more proof that I didn't die!

By the end of class we were in dire need of FOOD to quell rage hunger. Luckily, the trapeze school is super close to the newly opened Artichoke Basille's Chelsea / Meatpacking branch. For those of you in the NYC area who haven't experienced the magic of Artichoke's eponymous pizza, please head immediately to one

Deliciously fattening artichoke pizza. Nom nom nom.

of their two locations. Imagine the best, creamiest artichoke and spinach dip on Chicago deep dish style pizza crust. YUM. Artichoke's brick oven gives the underside of the pizza a nice char, albeit unevenly. Some sections came out a bit too toasty, crispy for my taste.

Warning though - lovers of Neapolitan, Sicilian, New York, or thin crust style pizzas, Artichoke's may not be for you. While not as casseroleish as a true deep dish, this pizza is definitely much richer fare than your average slice. Check out this NY Serious Eats' review for the scoop on the new Artichoke. But no matter your personal preference, it's hard to argue against warm, gooey pizza as the perfect reward for a day full of athletic wins!